Slaithwaite /ˈslæθ.weɪt/, locally Slawit /ˈslaʊ.ɪt/ (Old Norse: Timber-fell clearing), is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it lies in the Colne Valley, lying across the River Colne and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, approximately 5 miles (8 km) south-west of Huddersfield. The village has two primary schools; Slaithwaite Church of England School on Holme Lane and Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School on Nields Road. There is also a small primary school in the nearby hamlet of Wilberlee. The village is serviced by the local Secondary School, Colne Valley High School in Linthwaite approximately 2.5 miles away. The village was voted the best place to live in the North & Northeast in The Time